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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · mouse · cold · track · pitcher · capital · stand · pass

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cold — not warm
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. capital — money
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — a song
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com